Your thoughts on Linux

[Sinixstar]

I look at the Windows/*Nix/Apple debate as kind of futile.

Whatever works for you, and makes you comfortable. I deal mostly in windows. Why? Because it works for me. It's what i've used for years by default - and it's what I have to do most of my work in. If i'm doing my job - the end user has no idea what kind of computer i was working on, or what kind of computer my code is running on. If I switched - it would be an exercise in pure ego stroking.

[Sinixstar]

Ah, yes, it always comes down to the Gates rules:

1. Microsoft is more standards-compliant.

2. The standard is whatever Microsoft does.

3. The standard (meaning whatever the behavior of the currently shipping product is) will be changed as often as necessary to ensure that reverse-engineering the behavior bug-for-bug is an endless treadmill, ensuring the truth of #1.

Far be it from me to complain about such a doubleplusgood OS!

7x57

Standards are a funny thing...

Back when IE3 was released, and Microsoft introduced the Microsoft.XMLHTTP object for IE. They did this so you could incorporate something called "Data Islands". Everybody went absolutely bonkers. They jumped up and down screaming about how this was against the "standards" and a violation of "standard security practices" and so on and so forth. Microsoft got severely roasted as a result. That was in the mid/late 90s?

Jump forward to 2004/2005 - and a lot of people are patting themselves on the back over this revolutionary things called "AJAX". It takes advantage of an object that microsoft introduced a bunch of years previously called "XMLHTTP". It allows the browser to reach out an asynchronously read XML and update only chunks of data on a page. Web2.0 is born...

Or - then there's the debate about Javascript 2.0.
For years, people have been complaining that Microsoft didn't want to follow the "standards" of getting "getters" and "setters" in their development platforms. In the discussions about the future of javascript - microsoft holds everybody's feet to the fire about using getters and setters as common interfaces, and "everybody" again goes bonkers. Scoffing at microsoft's attempts to control the standards process. After microsoft spent years trying to get their platforms in line with what everybody has been pushing for, Microsoft have the NERVE to ask everybody else to adhere to the same standards.


In short - the "standards" argument is stupid. If everybody followed the "standards" - there would be no progress. It takes somebody to break out of the acceptable mold and do something new for there to be any progress. Nevermind that the Microsoft as the evil empire sentiment just doesn't hold water....

[nemisis1400]

Initially, i got Linux/Ubuntu because i wanted something that allows to run video files smoothly without glitches and errors. I found out that it's just the hardware that's not sufficient to run anything. Still haven't upgraded, but still running Ubuntu because the load time is faster, I don't worry about viruses, and my computer doesn't sound like it's about to die whenever it's on.

Oh and where is the i only have one computer running linux option? still have a netbook running windows since there's no way to use a backup cd.

[7x57]

Fair or not, that's what one has to integrate with in most companies I dealt with.

Oh, sure, hide behind making a living, serving the customer, and all that. Whatareya, some kinda business-friendly conservative?

7x57

[ocabj]

Without giving out detailed information on our infrastructure, I can tell you that while we abhor deploying Windows as a server platform, we have been 'forced' to for specific situations due to application requirements for other departments on campus.

Though our policy is to not run Windows on baremetal servers, and favor virtualization.

Most of our infrastructure is Unix (not Linux).

[P1X4R]

i'm finally upgrading my old Linux workstation of 8 years. it has served my purposes extremely well.

cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Linux release 9 (Shrike)

i downloaded Fedora Core 13 so i'll be up to date on packages/libraries. can't wait. should be fun.

[Al Norris]

I have 3 computers at my house. None have any microsoft related software. Haven't had any since 2005.

While suse 11.2 is the main OS used, I am currently experimenting with the latest ubuntu. I rather like it. My wife still prefers suse/KDE (her prior computer was an XP box). So I understand her reluctance to shift to gnome.

Regardless, it has just been easier to maintain our computers with linux than with anything I have experienced with MS.

[Invicta]

Well, I've been using Linux at home for 10 years now. Because of my playing with Linux early on I've held several nice paying jobs supporting the Linux OS. I must say, I'm very fond of the Linux OS as a whole and have converted a few family members over to it.

So, what do you think of Linux?

Depends on what the use is. Has some good applications in the enterprise. I like it when it is bundled up in an appliance or used for a specific function. I don't like it as a general purpose OS. Windows 7 does the job quite well and when you factor in application compatibility plus the concept of plug and play, well then......

That said, I hope it continues to grow and challenge Windows. Competition will bring about better systems and new innovations.

[locosway]

Depends on what the use is. Has some good applications in the enterprise. I like it when it is bundled up in an appliance or used for a specific function. I don't like it as a general purpose OS. Windows 7 does the job quite well and when you factor in application compatibility plus the concept of plug and play, well then......

That said, I hope it continues to grow and challenge Windows. Competition will bring about better systems and new innovations.

Funny, there are no Windows drivers for my laptop, only Linux drivers. So, I guess my situation is a little different.

[Deadbolt]

Linux is great if you know what you're doing. If you dont, which you dont otherwise you wouldnt have made this thread ( ) stick to windows or the BSD mac base

[JDay]

Funny, there are no Windows drivers for my laptop, only Linux drivers. So, I guess my situation is a little different.

I find that hard to believe, what laptop is this?

[JDay]

Linux is great if you know what you're doing. If you dont, which you dont otherwise you wouldnt have made this thread ( ) stick to windows or the BSD mac base

You've obviously never used Ubuntu.

[locosway]

Dell XPS M1530, it was designed for Ubuntu 9.04 and came with no Windows license. Dell has no drivers for Windows for my laptop. However, everything works with Linux.

[JDay]

Dell XPS M1530, it was designed for Ubuntu 9.04 and came with no Windows license. Dell has no drivers for Windows for my laptop. However, everything works with Linux.

I bet if you install Windows 7 on it that all drivers will be automatically installed. The only reason Dell doesn't supply Windows drivers is because Windows is not an option on that model. They do that to save money instead of having to pay someone to keep a Windows support page updated.

In fact people have done just that, the only thing you have to do is download the latest Nvidia video drivers from the Nvidia site.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/p/19279095/19500170.aspx

[locosway]

Nope, a lot of things don't work even with Windows 7. I was running Windows 7 when I was still playing WoW, it's a nice OS, but just doesn't do it for me.